At just 12 years old, Jaydon is already making waves in the local business scene with his self-built, mobile nine-hole mini golf course. What started as a hobby in his backyard in the Boissevain area has grown into a rentable attraction for staff parties, community events, and tournaments.
J's Miniature Mini Golf is available to rent and has already been quite a hit with local businesses and families.
Jaydon first built the course last year at the age of 11, with help from his dad who put in many hours alongside him. “I really enjoy mini golf, and I collect golf balls,” Jaydon shared. “I started out making my own course in the backyard using wood pieces and digging holes, then inviting my family over for tournaments.”
Inspired by designs he found online, Jaydon added his own creative touches to the course, which features obstacles like bridges, loop-de-loops, and even a Plinko-style challenge. His favorite hole is the one with the bridge, but he’s most proud of the Plinko hole, which he says is also one of the three trickiest challenges.
Jayden’s entrepreneurial spirit was also on display at the Dunrea Flea Market this past weekend at the Boissevain Ag grounds, where he sold golf balls collected during summer trips to Clear Lake. His personalized business cards were distributed throughout the crowds with a little help from his friends.
“I get to spend one week at Clear Lake in the summer and I hire my cousins to help find balls on the golf course,” he said. “My cousin Oliver, he's probably my best hunter for golf balls, and my cousin Elliot and my brother Ryder, we usually do two courses and this year in total we found 787 golf balls!"
With growing interest from local businesses and strong re-bookings for next year, Jayden’s mini golf venture is proving to be more than just a summer project—it’s a full-fledged business built on creativity, hard work, and a love for the game.
Money raised through selling golf balls at Sunday's flea market is clearly allocated with 65% of the money being saved, 10% designated to be tithed to their local church, and Jaydon gets to spend 25% as he pleases.
Jaydon's grandma Cindy Pugh is proud of her grandson's ingenuity and dedication to the developing spending/saving habits.
"It is fun to watch, and people don't really realize how good the mini golf game is until they see it and try it," she says. "And yeah, it's a great family activity. He has set up a couple of times in his own yard and had people come over and golf, and it's been really good!"
"And his parents are teaching him the value of putting his ideas into practice and also the value of learning how to save money and also give money to either the church or to another organization," she adds.
Jaydon has his sights on building an additional 9 holes with new designs and challenges, and yes, that would make his mobile mini golf course an 18-hole-hit!